Ball-bearing fifth-wheel and king-bolt.



No. 744,742. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903,

W. GANDER. BALL BEARING FIFTH WHEEL AND KING BOLT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14. 1903.

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No. 744,742. I PATENTED ov. 24, 190s. 'H. W. GANDER'.

BALL BEARING FIFTH WHEEL AND KING BOLT. k APPLIGATION FILED AUG. 14.1903.

H0 MODEL. A 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES Patented November 24, 1903.

P ATENT. OFFICE.

HARRY W. GANDER, OF RUDY, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent N o. 7fl4,742, datedNovember 24, 1903.

Application filed August 14, 1903. Serial No. 169,416. (No model.)

incloses the upper end of the casing and To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HARRY W. GANDER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Rudy, in the county of Montgomery, State of Pennsylvania,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bali Bearing Fifth-WVheels and King-Bolts; and I do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to fifth-wheels for vehicles; and it has for itsobject to provide a construction which will permit of easy turning ofthe front axle while holding the parts thereof securely in properpositions and in which the coupling-bolt or king-bolt will be heldsecurely while offering a minimum of friction.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure l is a vertical section through the front axle and the frontsprings of avehicle equipped with the present invention, the king-boltbeing shown in elevation. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 isa sectional view of the lower bearing-casing with the bearing-rollers inplace in a portion thereof. Fig. 4. is a top plan view of the lowerbearing member with the springs removed. Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 3, showing the bearingcasing with its wings. Fig. 6 is a bottomplan view of the upper bearing-casing. Fig. 7isa' top plan View of thetop leaf of the lower half of the front spring.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown the front axle 10 of avehicle through which is engaged the lower end ofa king-bolt 11, uponwhich below the axle is screwed a retaining-nut 12. The king-bolt has anenlarged portion 13, which enters the recess 14 in the upper face of theaxle and into which it is drawn by the nut 12, so that the bolt is rigidwith respect to the axle.

Disposed upon the king-bolt and resting with its minor end upon the,enlargement 13 is an inverted frusto-conical bearing-casing 15, upon theupper end of which is disposed a cap 16, having a depending flange 17,which prevents access of dirt thereto. The cap 16 has a centralperforation through which the king-bolt is passed, and upon this cap areheld the leaves 18 of the lower half of the front springs of the vehicleby means of the clamping-bolts 19.

In the lower end of the casing 15 is disposed an annular rack 20, and inthe upper end of the casing is disposed a second annular rack 21, theseracks having journals 22 and 23, respectively, formed therein and inwhichare received the trunnions at the ends of bearing-rollers 24, whichlatter converge downwardly in conformity with the taper 0f the casing.

Upon the inner or upper faces of the rollers 24 rests the bearing-cone25, which is carried by the cap 16, and is thus held to the front springof the vehicle.

From the perforation 26 in the upper leaf of the lower half of the frontspring radiate the slots 27, and in these slots are received the wings28 at diametrically opposite points of the outer surface of. a secondinverted frusto-conical bearing-casing 29, the lower end of which isreceived in the perforation 26. In the upper and lower ends of theeasing 29 are disposed annular racks 30 and 31, respectively, inwhichare journaled the trunnions at the ends of bearing-rollers 32, whichconverge downwardly in conformity with the taper of the casing.

Upon the bearing-rollers 32 is disposed a bearing-cone 33, which iscarried by a cap 34,.

This nut serves also to hold 28 in engagement with the openings in theupper leaf 18 of the vehicle-spring.

The bolts 19, that connect the springs'with the cap 16, serve also tohold the arms 37 of the perch-rod 38 to the spring.

In practice modifications of the specific construction shown may be madeand any suitable materials and proportions may be used for the variousparts without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. The combination with a vehicle-axle, of aking-bolt engaged therewith, a bearing-(ms ing carried by theking-boltand having antifriction devices therein, a bearing-conedisposed in the casing and resting upon the antifriction devices, thefront spring connected with the bearing-cone, a bearing-casing securedto the spring, antifriction devices in the second bearing-casing, and asecond bearingcone secured to the king-bolt and engaged with its minorend downwardly into the second bearing-casing and in contact with theantifriction devices therein.

2. The combination with a vehicle-axle, of a king-bolt engagedtherewith, an inverted frusto-eonieal bearing-casing supported upon theking-bolt, antifriction devices in the bearing-casing, a cap for thebearing-casing, a bearing-cone attached to the cap and disposed againstthe antifriction-rollers, a spring secured upon the cap and throughwhich the king-bolt is passed, a second inverted frustoconical bearingcasing having radiating wings, said second bearing-casing being disposedto encircle the king-bolt and having its lower end and its wings engagedin corresponding openings in the spring, antifrictionrollers in thesecond bearing-casing, a bearing-cone mounted upon the king-bolt andresting upon the last-named rollers, a cap for the second bearing-casingsecured to the second cone and means engaged wit-h the kingbolt andimpinging against the cap for holding the second cone against upwardmovement.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HARRY \V. GANDER.

Vitnesses:

II. 13. UPDOGU, AMELIA C. SLOTTERER.

